Vaned paper making machine headbox manifold having adjustable thickness vanes



Feb. 14, 1967 D CURTIS 7 3,304,224

VANED PAPER MAKING MACHINE HEADBOX MANIFOLD HAVING ADJUSTABLE THICKNESS VANES Filed June 26, 1964 peg mm @XXokM/ U United States Patent This invention relates to improvements in the art of spreading dilute paper stock across the entire width of a paper web former and in particular to improvements in a manifold that receives stock from a delivery conduit and delivers the stock to paper machine headbox.

In order to produce at high speed a web of paper having uniform character across its entire width, the dilute stock from a delivery conduit must be spread to such width and carefully discharged from a slice opening in the headbox with uniform turbulence and velocity, and without any flow crosswise to the direction of web travel. Many developments have occurred relating to the design and construction of the slice, the headbox and the manifold that have made possible increases in the speed of forming the web on a former without sacrificing the desired uniformity of the formed paper. It is the object of the present invention to continue such development of the art by providing a manifold of new and improved design and construction that will provide, for relatively modest cost, a high degree of stable uniform parallel flow to a headbox regardless of the flow conditions within the conduit delivering stock to the manifold.

It is another object of the present invention to provide for a flow of stock through the manifold that can be easily adjusted without interrupting operation and without dismantling the manifold.

According to the present invention a manifold is provided with wall structure defining a fluid inlet and a rectangular fluid outlet wider than said inlet and equal to the width of the headbox. A portion of the manifold wall structure defines a straight channel rectangular in cross section, the straight channel begins intermediate the inlet and outlet and extends to the outlet. A plurality of thin flat straight parallelograrnmic vanes are supported within the straight channel portion. These vanes are arranged parallel to each other and normal to a plane defined by the manifold outlet. The vanes are also spaced apart to define narrow parallel fluid flow directing slots normal to the plane defined by the manifold outlet. Thus after stock received by the manifold is spread out to the width of the headbox but before entering the headbox, the stock is passed through relatively long narrow slots that prevent crossflow currents, and the flow is discharged from the manifold with uniformly across its entire width. Providing the headbox with such a uniform flow of stock makes it possible for the headbox to discharge a very thin layer having such characteristics upon a web former at high speed. The flat straight vanes are easily and inexpensively made and the design of the entire manifold lends itself to providing adjustable width slots for accommodating a wide range of operating conditions.

The present invention provides for adjusting the width of the slots between vanes by providing for adjusting the thickness of the vanes. To accomplish such adjustment each of the vanes may be made by laminating a pair of flat plates, of such as stainless steel, to an interposed matrix of a compressible material such as rubber. Devices may be connected to each plate of such a pair for moving the plate toward or away from each other to compress or release compression of the rubber matrix. In this way the thickness of the vanes may be adjusted and changing vane thickness of course also necessarily changes the width of the slot between vanes and adjusts the flow of the dilute paper stock through the manifold.

The aforementioned and other objects of the present invention and how they are attained will appear from the following description of the invention with reference to the drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view, partly in section, of the web forming end of a paper machine including an adjustable manifold according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial sectional plan view of a nonadjustable manifold according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a partial cross sectional view taken on line,

III-III in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is :a fragmentary view taken on line IV-IV in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a partial cross sectional view taken on line V-V in FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view taken on line VI-VI in FIG. 4.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a headbox is indicated by the reference 10 and is shown containing flow rectifier rolls 11 for preventing the build-up of minor flow irregularities as the stock travels through the head- 'box to a slice 12 that feeds the dilute paper stock onto a forming wire 13 passing over a breast roll 14. A manifold 15 is connected to the inlet 16 of the headbox and extends the width of the headbox. The manifold 15 is connected to the headbox 10 by bolts 29 that connect a flange 26 of the manifold assembly 15 to a flange 17 of the headbox assembly 10.

Referring to FIG. 2, the dilute paper stock, as indi cated by the arrows, flows from a suitable supply (not shown) into the inlet 18 of the manifold 15. The manifold 15 has a wall 19 that slopes toward a manifold outlet 20. The manifold has parallel wall structures 21, 22 and 23, 24 defining a straight channel 25 rectangular in cross section as may be seen in FIG. 3. The straight channel 25 begins at a flange 26 intermediate manifold inlet 18 and outlet 20 and extends to the manifold outlet 20 at flange 17.

A recirculating bleed off 27 and valve 28 may be provided (as shown in FIG. 2) at the end of the sloped wall 19 opposite the manifold and adjacent the beginning of the straight channel portion 25 at flange 26.

A plurality of flat straight parallelogrammic vanes 30 are supported within the straight channel portion 25. The vanes 39 are parallel to each other and normal to a plane defined by the manifold outlet 20, or in other words flange 17.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the vanes 30 may be constructed' to have adjustable thickness. Each of the vanes 31B comprise a laminated pair of cooperating plates 31, 32 with an inter-posed matrix 33 of a compressible material such as rubber. The plates 31, 32 may be most desirably made of stainless steel or other noncorrosive material. A plurality of rods 34 pass through vanes 30. The rods 34 have external screw threads 35, 36 engaging internaly threaded portions 37, 38 connected to each plate 31, 32, respectively. The threaded portions 37, 38 of plates 31, 32 have internal threads turned in opposite directions. That is, if portion 37 is provided with righthand screw threads then portion 38 is provided with lefthand screw threads. The threaded portions 35, 36 of rods 34 have threads likewise turned in opposite directions corresponding to the threaded portions 37, 38 with which portions 35, 36 engage. The thickness of vanes 39 can therefore be adjusted by turning rods 34 to move each cooperating plate 31, 32 toward each other to compress matrix 33, upon turning shafts 34 in one direction and to move plates 31, 32 away from each other to release com- 3 pression of matrix 33 when shaft 34 is turned in the opposite direction.

Since it is desired to make the entire vane 30 as thin as possible, the plates 31, 32 may be too thin to provide a necessary number of turns of screw threads. Furthermore, if plates 31, 32 are made of stainless steel, it would be relatively diflicult and expensive to cut screw threads in the plates. For either or both of the foregoing reasons, it is desirable to provide plates 31, 32 with threaded portions 37, 38 that are separate assemblies connected to the plates. The manner in which these portions may be assembled will be described with reference to the portion 37 as shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6. The portion 37 there shown comprises a pair of members shaped as annular disks 37a and 37b and a spacer 37c interposed between disks 37a, 37b. The spacer 370 is shown in FIG. 4 as an inverted T-shaped part having a shank 37c and a crown 370. The disks 37a and 37b maybe connected to spacer 37c by such as welds 40 shown in FIG. 4. The portion 37 so assembled may in turn be connected to plate 31 by such as bolts 41, as shown in FIGS 4 and 6 or welds 42 such as shown in FIG. 6.

The vanes 30 are arranged within channel 25 to be parallel to each other and normal to the plane defined by the manifold outlet 20 at flange 17. The vanes are shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, spaced apart equal distances to define parallel fluid flow directing slots 45 normal to the plane defined by the manifold outlet 20 at flange 17. The manifold assembly may be constructed with the outboard plates (see 31' in FIG. 3) mounted in a stationary position to also serve as the wall structure 22 which is part of the structure defining a rigid enclosure about channel 25.

The manifold assembly 15 may also be constructed with vanes 30 projecting through openings 46 (FIG. 3) in order to place the rods 34 outside of the channel 25. With this arrangement sealing strips 47 are welded as at 48, to the plates to move with the plates and bear against wall structures 23, 24 to prevent fluid flow out of chamber 25 through opening-s 46. Wall structures 23, 24 may alternately be made of a compressible material such as rubber to continuously engage the walls 31, 32 and eliminate the need for such as sealing strips 47.

An operating mechanism for turning rods 34 in unison is shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. A gear 56 is mounted upon each rod 34 and a chain 51 engages each gear 50 and a centraly located handwheel 52 (FIG. 1). Thus turning handwheel 52 simultaneously turns each rod 34.

In the operation of the manifold, as shown in FIG. 2, dilute paper stock is admitted to the manifold inlet 18 and flows as indicated by arrows, with perhaps up to about 15 percent of the stock being drawn out of the bleed off 27 for recirculation to inlet 18 to insure a continuous even flow across and into the entire width of channel 25. The stock is then passed through the relatively long thin slots 45 that erase the tendency of the stock to flow partly transverse to the intended directions of flow and provide the headbox with such a flow to permit the headbox to discharge a very thin uniform layer of stock upon a web former at high speed.

The apparatus that has been described with primary reference to FIGS. 1 and 3 can be operated to adjust stock flow to the head box to maintain desired constant velocity despite a change in flow rate to the manifold. This adjustment can be affected by turning handwheel 52 which moves chain 51 to simultaneously and in unison turn all of the gears 50 and the rods connected thereto. Regardless of the direction of rotation of rods 34, the oppositely threaded portion-s 35, 36 of rods 34 will move portions 37, 38 and plates 31, 32 in opposite directions. Thus turning hand-wheel 52 in one direction will cause lates 31, 32 to move closer together to compress matrix 33 and thereby present thinner vanes 30 defining wider slots 45 between the vanes 30. Turning handwheel 52 in the opposite direction will cause plates 31, 32 to move apart to release compression of matrix 33 and thereby present thicker vanes 30 defining thinner slots 45 between the vanes 30. Thus it has been shown that the present invention provides a unique manifold that may be applied with particular advantage to the web forming end of a paper making machine that accomplishes the objects that have been set forth as well as others that will occur to those skilled in such arts.

Modifications and equivalents of the disclosed features of this invention, such as readily occur to those skilled in these arts are intended to be included within the scope of this invention. The scope of this invention is therefore intended to be limited only by the scope of the claims such as are or may hereafter be, appended hereto.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A manifold comprising: wall structure defining a fluid inlet and a rectangular fluid outlet wider than said inlet; a portion of said manifold wall structure defining a straight channel rectangular in cross section, said straight channel portion beginning intermediate said inlet and said outlet and extending to said outlet; and a plurality of flat straight parallelogrammic vanes supported within said straight channel portion, said vanes being parallel to each other and normal to a plane defined by said manifold outlet, said vanes also being spaced apart to define parallel fluid flow directing slots normal to said plane defined by said manifold outlet, and at least one of said vanes comprising a laminated pair of cooperating plates with an interposed matrix of a compressible material, and adjusting means connected to both of said sheets operative to adjust the thickness of said vanes by moving each cooperating plate toward and away from each other to compress and release compression of said matrix and thereby accordingly adjust the width of the slot defined by said laminated vane.

2. A manifold comprising: wall structure defining a fluid inlet and a rectangular fluid outlet wider than said inlet; a portion of said manifold wall structure defining a straight channel rectangular in cross section, said straight channel portion beginning intermediate said inlet and said outlet and extending to said outlet; and a plurality of flat straight parallelogrammic vanes supported within said straight channel portion, said vanes being parallel to each other and normal to a plane defined by said manifold outlet, said vanes also being spaced apart to define parallel fluid flow directing slots normal to said palne defined by said manifold outlet, and at least one of said vanes comprising a laminated pair of cooperating plates with an interposed matrix of a compressible material, said plates having a portion defining an internally threaded bore and a rod passing through said bore, said rod having external screw threads engaging said internally threaded bore defining portion, said threaded bore defining portion of each plate of said pair having internal threads turned in opposite directions and the threaded portions of said rod c0- operating therewith having threads likewise turned in opposite directions to adjust the thickness of said vane by moving each cooperating plate toward and away from each other to compress and release compression of said matrix upon turning said shaft in opposite directions and thereby accordingly adjust the Width of the slot defined by said laminated vane.

3. In a manifold assembly according to claim 2 said internally threaded bore defining portion comprising a pair of internally threaded bore defining members arranged with one on each side of one of said plates, and a spacer between said members of a Width equal to the width of said plate, said pair of members and said spacer being connected together to provide an assembly which is also connected to said plate, to provide said plate an assembled internally threaded bore defining portion having a width greater than said plate.

4. A manifold comprising: wall structure defining a fluid inlet and a rectangular fluid outlet wider than said inlet; a portion of said manifold wall structure defining a straight channel rectangular in cross section, said straight channel portion beginning intermediate said inlet and said outlet and extending to said outlet; and a plurality of flat straight parallelogrammic vanes supported within said straight channel portion, said vanes being parallel to each other and normal to a plane defined by said manifold outlet, said vanes also being spaced apart to define parallel fluid flow directing slots normal to said plane defined by said manifold outlet, and each of said vanes comprising a laminated pair of cooperating plates with an interposed matrix of a compressible material, said plates each having a portion defining an internally threaded bore, and a plurality of rods each passing through one of said bore defining portions of each of said plates, said rods having external screw threads engaging said internally threaded bore defining portions of each said plate, the threaded bore defining portion of one plate of said pair having internal threads turned in opposite direction to the turn of the threads of the other plate of said pair and the threaded portions of said rods cooperating therewith having threads likewise turned in opposite directions to adjust the thickness of said vanes by moving each cooperating plate toward :and away from each other to compress and release compression of said matrix upon turning said shafts in opposite directions and thereby accordingly adjust the width of said slots between adjacent of said laminated vanes.

5. In a manifold assembly according to claim 4 an end of each of said rod projecting outwardly of one side of said manifold, a gear mounted on each of said projecting rod ends, an endless chain engaging each of said gears, and a handwheel rotatably supported by the assembly and engaging said chain to move said chain and turn all of said gears and rods connected thereto to simultaneously and in unison to equally turn said rods to move said plates relative to said rods and adjust the thickness of said vanes.

6. A manifold comprising: wall structure defining a fluid inlet and a rectangular fluid outlet wider than said inlet; a portion of said manifold wall structure defining a straight channel rectangular in cross section, said straight channel portion beginning intermediate said inlet and said outlet and extending to said outlet; and a plurality of flat straight parallelogrammic vanes supported within said straight channel portion, said vanes being parallel to each other and normal to a plane defined by said manifold outlet, said vanes also being spaced apart to define parallel fluid flow directing slots normal to said plane defined by said manifold outlet, and each of said vanes comprising a laminated pair of cooperating plates with an interposed matrix of rubber, said plates each having a portion defining an internally threaded bore, and a plurality of rods each passing through one of said bore defining portions of each of said plates, said rods having external screw threads engaging said internally threaded bore defining portions connected to each said plate, the threaded bore defining portion of each plate of said pair having internal threads turned in opposite directions and the threaded portions of said rods cooperating therewith having threads likewise turned in opposite directions to adjust the thickness of said vanes by moving each cooperating plate toward and away from each other to compress and release compression of said ruber matrix upon turning said shafts in opposite directions and thereby accordingly adjust the width of said slots between adjacent of said laminated vanes.

7. A fluid flow channeling assembly for a paper making machine headbox manifold and the like comprising a plurality of flat and straight vanes, a rod passing through said vanes, said rod being perpendicular to said vanes, said vanes also being spaced apart along said rod to define parallel fluid flow directing slots normal to said rod at least one of said vanes comprising a laminated pair of cooperating plates with an interposed matrix of a compressible material, and adjusting means connected to said rod and both of said plates for moving each cooperating plate toward and away from each other to compress and release compression of said matrix and thereby accordingly adjust the width of said slots adjacent said laminated vane.

8. A fluid flow channeling assembly for a paper making machine headbox manifold and the like comprising a plurality of fl-at and straight vanes, a plurality of rods passing through said vanes, said rods being parallel to each other and perpendicular to said vanes, said vanes also being spaced apart along said rods to define parallel fluid flow directing slots normal to said rods, and at least one of said vanes comprising a laminated pair of cooperating plates with an interposed matrix of a compressible material, said rods having external screw threads engaging internally threaded portions connected to each plate, the threaded portion of each plate of said pair having internal threads turned in opposite directions and the threaded portions of said rods cooperating therewith having threads likewise turned in opposite directions to adjust the thickness of said vanes by moving each cooperating plate toward and away from each other to compress and release compression of said matrix upon turning said shafts in opposite directions and thereby accordingly adjust'the width of said slots adjacent said laminated vane.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,911,041 11/1959 Beachler 162-336 3,002,558 10/1961 Meyer 162343 X FOREIGN PATENTS 384,283 7/1921 Germany. 746,664 3/ 1956 Great Britain.

DONALL H. SYLVESTER, Primary Examiner.

S. LEON BASHORE, J. H. NEWSOME,

Assistant Examiners. 

7. A FLUID FLOW CHANNELING ASSEMBLY FOR A PAPER MAKING MACHINE HEADBOX MANIFOLD AND THE LIKE COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF FLAT AND STRAIGHT VANES, A ROD PASSING THROUGH SAID VANES, SAID ROD BEING PERPENDICULAR TO SAID VANES, SAID VANES ALSO BEING SPACED APART ALONG SAID ROD TO DEFINE PARALLEL FLUID FLOW DIRECTING SLOTS NORMAL TO SAID ROD AT LEAST ONE OF SAID VANES COMPRISING A LAMINATED PAIR OF COOPERATING PLATES WITH AN INTERPOSED MATRIX OF A COMPRESSIBLE MATERIAL, AND ADJUSTING MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID ROD AND BOTH OF SAID PLATES FOR MOVING EACH COOPERATING PLATE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM EACH OTHER TO COMPRESS AND RELEASE COMPRESSION OF SAID MATRIX AND THEREBY ACCORDINGLY ADJUST THE WIDTH OF SAID SLOTS ADJACENT SAID LAMINATED VANE. 